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John McMaster watched Aberdeen fans drive home the axe on Alex Smith’s managerial career in the north east as expectations grew out of control.

And, almost three decades on, the Dons great has warned: Don’t make the same mistake with Derek McInnes.

McMaster was in the stands as sections of the Red Army turned up the heat on the boss with chants of ‘Derek, Derek get to f***’ during Sunday’s goalless draw with St Mirren.

It came on the back of Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at home to third place rivals Motherwell and leaves Aberdeen four points adrift of the Steelmen.

(Image: SNS Group)

McInnes is approaching his seventh anniversary in the Pittodrie hotseat and despite a 55 per cent win rate and four second place finishes, he has still only delivered one trophy - the League Cup in 2014.

There’s a feeling the former Rangers midfielder has taken the side as far as he can.

But while McMaster accepts the 48-year-old will be feeling the pressure, he says it will be alleviated in an instant if he can lead the Dons to Scottish Cup glory on the 30th anniversary of their last success in the competition.

And he has also warned the Red Army to be careful what they wish for.

He said: “The shouting and balling for Derek to go is a nonsense.

“Who is going to replace him?

“Derek has always done well and his record speaks for itself.

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“He is always going to be there or thereabouts at cup finals but he needs to win one for him and Tony Docherty and the rest of the staff to get belief in what they’re doing.

“It would be great if it was this season. He knows he under pressure but he can handle it because he has been there before.

“Derek is in his umpteenth team and every year he has to rebuild.

“You can’t always compete with Rangers and Celtic.

“I have seen it all before. I saw Alex Smith get sacked because there was a couple of hundred people outside the front door at Pittodrie. They lost a good manager there.

“You will never satisfy a lot of people. They just expect to be in the top three now.

“It could be a lot worse. Look at Hearts.

“They just have to let Derek see it through.

“I don’t know if his remit is finish in the top four - if it is then he has achieved that and getting to semi finals and finals.

“Derek and Tony know they are under pressure. They won a trophy five or six years ago but they have missed out on a couple aswell.

“Knowing Derek he will be as disappointed as anyone that he hasn’t won more trophies. I had him at Morton and he was a hungry boy and a student who loved asking about the game,

“He was always interested and wanting to know new things. He will go with the times and is definitely not someone who will stand still.

“He will always strive to get the best out of his players.

“Winning the Scottish Cup would please the fans and you never know he might go and do that.

“But they have to remember; if Aberdeen fans are feeling sorry for themselves then just look at the Rangers fans.

“Nobody has touched Celtic in recent years.”

John McMaster in action for Aberdeen back in the 80s (Image: Getty Images/Bob Thomas)

McMaster knows Aberdeen are far from the finished article and despite the arrival of Matty Kennedy from St Johnstone last week the 64-year-old, who was inducted into the Dons Hall of Fame two years ago, reckons they need better in wide areas.

“Aberdeen have a finisher but they need two wide men who can deliver balls for Sam Cosgrove,” he said.

“You lose quality like Jonny Hayes who has just gone to be a squad player at Celtic.

“He was a big, big player for Aberdeen and it’s difficult to replace these people.

“Connor McLennan looked like he was going to be a good replacement but then he picked up an injury.

“A lot of blame has to go on the players for their performances not Derek.”

Meanwhile one of the heroes of Aberdeen’s last Scottish Cup success in 1990, Brian Irvine, agrees McInnes needs a trophy and soon to appease the disgruntled fans.

(Image: SNS Group)

Irvine slammed home the winning penalty as Alex Smith’s side beat Celtic in a Hampden shoot-out to secure the cup double.

But the former defender reckons the Red Army took it too far with their chants on Sunday.

“I find that quite offensive,” he said. “But everyone is entitled to their opinion and you can’t stop supporters chanting what they want if they go to games and pay their money.

“It’s certainly a little bit worrying that that’s what fans are saying.

“It’s not just at Aberdeen but at any club the directors listen to their supporters because they are the lifeblood.

“Generally the supporters’ voice will win through in the end.

“It’s not been a great season. I suppose if they finish third in the league - and they are still fighting with Motherwell - then that would be success with Rangers and Celtic being that bit further ahead.

“The jury will be out at the end of the season.

“I’m behind Derek and what he has done.

“A Sottish Cup win or finishing third in the league would help.

“Any manager outside the Old Firm would say that though. Realistically Rangers or Celtic are going to win the league so that leaves the cups as the best route to success.

“Aberdeen fans want it to happen this year but who knows? They have no given right to win a trophy.”

McINNES HIGHS AND LOWS AT PITTODRIE:

HIGHS:

• Leads Aberdeen to League Cup glory in March 2014 just 12 months after taking over at Pittodrie. The penalty kick success over Inverness ends the Dons’ 19-year wait for silverware.

• Aberdeen storm past Croatian moneybags Rijeka in July 2015 with a thumping 5-2 aggregate victory which included a 3-0 win away from home.

• Four successive second place finishes between 2015 and 2018 as the Dons prove to be the best of the rest outside all-conquering Celtic.

• Three victories over Rangers in Glasgow last season as the Dons dump Steven Gerrard’s side out of both cups on top of a 1-0 Ibrox win in the league.

LOWS:

• Five successive failed attempts to progress through the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.

• Fourth in the Premiership last season behind Celtic, Rangers and Kilmarnock after four successive second-placed finishes.

• Dumped out both domestic cup competitions 3-0 by Motherwell in 2017/18.

• Thumped 5-0 by Rangers at Ibrox and 4-0 by Celtic at Pittodrie in the space of four weeks this season.